ABAP interview questions and answers

Bya d m i n  | May 2, 2005

Thanks to the reader who sent in this question set:
1.W h at is an ABAP data dictionary?- ABAP 4 data dictionary describes the logical structures of theobjects used in
application development and shows how they are mapped to the underlying relationaldatabase in tables/views.
2.W h at are domains and data element?- Domains: Domain is the central object for describing the
technical characteristics of an attribute of an business objects. It describes the value range of the field. Data
Element: It is used to describe the semantic definition of the table fields like description the field. Data
element describes how a field can be displayed to end- user.
3.What is foreign key relationship?- A relationship which can be defined between tables and must be
explicitly defined at field level. Foreign keys are used to ensure the consistency of data. Data entered should
be checked against existing data to ensure that there are now contradictions. While defining foreign key
relationship cardinality has to be specified. Cardinality mentions how many dependent records or how
referenced records are possible.
4.D escribe data classes.- Master data: It is the data which is seldom changed. Transaction data: It is the
data which is often changed. Organization data: It is a customizing data which is entered in the system when
the system is configured and is then rarely changed. System data: It is the data which R/3 system needs for
itself.
5.W h at are indexes?- Indexes are described as a copy of a database table reduced to specific fields. This
data exists in sorted form. These sorting forms ease fast access to the field of the tables. In order that other
fields are also read, pointers to the associated record of the actual table are included in the index. Yhe
indexes are activated along with the table and are created automatically with it in the database.
6.D ifference between transparent tables and pooled tables.- Transparent tables: Transparent tables
in the dictionary has a one- to- one relation with the table in database. Its structure corresponds to single
database field. Table in the database has the same name as in the dictionary. Transparent table holds
application data. Pooled tables. Pooled tables in the dictionary have a many- to- one relation with the table in
database. Table in the database has the different name as in the dictionary. Pooled table are stored in table
pool at the database level.
7.W h at is an ABAP/4 Query?- ABAP/4 Query is a powerful tool to generate simple reports without any
coding. ABAP/4 Query can generate the following 3 simple reports: Basic List: It is the simple reports.
Statistics: Reports with statistical functions like Average, Percentages. Ranked Lists: For analytical reports.-
For creating a ABAP/4 Query, programmer has to create user group and a functional group. Functional
group can be created using with or without logical database table. Finally, assign user group to functional
group. Finally, create a query on the functional group generated.
8.W h at is BD C  programming?- Transferring of large/external/legacy data into SAP system using Batch
Input programming. Batch input is a automatic procedure referred to as BDC(Batch Data
Communications).The central component of the transfer is a queue file which receives the data vie a batch
input programs and groups associated data into ³sessions´.
9.What are the functional modules used in sequence in BD C  ?- These are the 3 functional modules
which are used in a sequence to perform a data transfer successfully using BDC programming:
BDC_OPEN_GROUP- Parameters like Name of the client, sessions and user name are specified in this
functional modules. BDC_INSERT- It is used to insert the data for one transaction into a session.
BDC_CLOSE_GROUP- This is used to close the batch input session.

10.W h at are internal tables?- Internal tables are a standard data type object which exists only during the
runtime of the program. They are used to perform table calculations on subsets of database tables and for re-
organizing the contents of database tables according to users need.
11.W h at is ITS?  W h at are th e merits of ITS?- ITS is a Internet Transaction Server. ITS forms an interface
between HTTP server and R/3 system, which converts screen provided data by the R/3 system into HTML
documents and vice- versa. Merits of ITS: A complete web transaction can be developed and tested in R/3
system. All transaction components, including those used by the ITS outside the R/3 system at runtime, can
be stored in the R/3 system. The advantage of automatic language processing in the R/3 system can be
utilized to language- dependent HTML documents at runtime.
12.W h at isD ynPro?- DynPro is a Dynamic Programming which is a combination of screen and the associated
flow logic Screen is also called as DynPro.
13.W h at are screen painter and menu painter?- Screen painter: Screen painter is a tool to design and
maintain screen and its elements. It allows user to create GUI screens for the transactions. Attributes, layout,
filed attributes and flow logic are the elements of Screen painter. Menu painter: Menu painter is a tool to
design the interface components. Status, menu bars, menu lists, F- key settings, functions and titles are the
components of Menu painters. Screen painter and menu painter both are the graphical interface of an
ABAP/4 application.
14.What are the components of SAP scripts?- SAP scripts is a word processing tool of SAP which has the
following components: Standard text. It is like a standard normal document. Layout sets.- Layout set
consists of the following components: Windows and pages, Paragraph formats, Character formats. Creating
forms in the R/3 system. Every layout set consists of Header, paragraph, and character string. ABAP/4
program.
15.W h at is ALV programming in ABAP?  W h en is th is grid used in ABAP?- ALV is Application List
viewer. Sap provides a set of ALV (ABAP LIST VIEWER) function modules which can be put into use to
embellish the output of a report. This set of ALV functions is used to enhance the readability and
functionality of any report output. Cases arise in sap when the output of a report contains columns extending
 more than 255 characters in length. In such cases, this set of ALV functions can help choose selected
columns and arrange the different columns from a report output and also save different variants for report
display. This is a very efficient tool for dynamically sorting and arranging the columns from a report output.
The report output can contain up to 90 columns in the display with the wide array of display options.
16.What are the events in ABAP/4 language?- Initialization, At selection- screen, Start- of- selection, end-
of- selection, top- of- page, end- of- page, At line- selection, At user- command, At PF, Get, At New, At LAST,
ATEND, AT FIRST.
17.What isC TS and what do you know about it?- The Change and Transport System (CTS) is a tool thathelps you to
organize development projects in the ABAP Workbench and in Customizing, and then transportthe changes
between the SAP Systems and clients in your system landscape. This documentation providesyou with an
overview of how to manage changes with the CTS and essential information on setting up yoursystem and client
landscape and deciding on a transport strategy. Read and follow this documentation whenplanning your
development project.
18.What are logical databases? W hat are the advantages/ dis-advantages of logical databases?-
To read data from a database tables we use logical database. A logical database provides read- only access to a
group of related tables to an ABAP/4 program. Advantages: i)check functions which check that user input is
complete, correct,and plausible. ii)Meaningful data selection. iii)central authorization checks for database
accesses. iv)good read access performance while retaining the hierarchical data view determined by the
application logic. dis advantages: i)If you donot specify a logical database in the program attributes,the GET
events never occur. ii)There is no ENDGET command,so the code block associated with an event ends with
the next event statement (such as another GET or an END- OF- SELECTION).

19.W hat is a batchinput session?- BATCH INPUT SESSION is an intermediate step between internal tableand database
table. Data along with the action is stored in session ie data for screen fields, to which screen itis passed,
program name behind it, and how next screen is processed.
20. These are the steps to be followed to Upload data through CATT:Creation of the CATT test case & recording the
sample data input. Download of the source file template.Modification of the source file. Upload of the data
from the source file.
21.W h at is Smart Forms?- Smart Forms allows you to create forms using a graphical design tool with robust
functionality, color, and more. Additionally, all new forms developed at SAP will be created with the new
Smart Form solution.
22. Client dependent
or independent transfer requirements include client specific or cross client objects in the change requests.
Workbench objects like SAPscripts are client specific, some entries in customizing are client independent. If
you display the object list for one change request, and then for each object the object attributes, you will find
 the flag client specific. If one object in the task list has this flag on, then that transport will be client
dependent.
23.What is the difference between macro and subroutine?- Macros can only be used in the program
the are defined in and only after the definition are expanded at compilation / generation. Subroutines
(FORM) can be called from both the program the are defined in and other programs . A MACRO is more or
less an abbreviation for some lines of code that are used more than once or twice. A FORM is a local
subroutine (which can be called external). A FUNCTION is (more or less) a subroutine that is called external.
Since debugging a MACRO is not really possible, prevent the use of them (I¶ve never used them, but seen
them in action). If the subroutine is used only local (called internal) use a FORM. If the subroutine is called
external (used by more than one program) use a FUNCTION.